VYPE: How long have you been part of the academic team?
Cornelius: Since sixth grade.
VYPE: What first got you interested in it?
Cornelius: I first tried out for academic team because I had friends who were in academic team the year before, and I had friends who were trying out that year too.
VYPE: In your opinion, what is the best part about it?
Cornelius: The rush when you win the buzz getting an answer correct that you know by heart.
VYPE: What is your favorite memory competing?
Cornelius: My favorite moment was when we were at the awards at the end of a meet, and we realized we had made it to state after beating out some hard teams.
VYPE: Do you have a favorite opponent to compete against? If so, why?
Cornelius: Woodward, because they are really challenging but we still do our best, putting in a good effort.
VYPE: What motivates you to be your best?
Cornelius: I am motivated by the feeling at the end of a meet knowing we did our absolute best, and feeling accomplished in how we competed.
VYPE: Which teammate is the class clown? Who is the leader?
Cornelius: The class clown on our team is definitely Cutter Taff. He always tries to make us laugh and rarely fails. Not only is Cutter funny, but he is also very friendly. He is usually seen at the end of a meet making friends with everyone from every other team. I always saw our leader as being Adrien Perez. He was one of our best members, and he would never let a loss get to him.
VYPE: What is something people may not know about academic team?
Cornelius: Academic team, while studying can be helpful, is very random. Meets usually have two subjects that the majority of the questions will follow, but there are an endless amount of possible questions. You could get a question over the Silk Road, and then get one about Super Bowl X.
VYPE: What are your plans after high school?
Cornelius: I hope to go to college and get a degree in stem. I hope to work in some way with space in the future.
